Loose-leaf book.



F. 3'. HOUSE.

LOOSE LEAF BOOK.

APPLICATION FILE]? 110V. 6. 1911.

1,025,468. r Patented May 7,1912.

FRANK E. HOUSH, OF WIN'II-IROP, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOOSE-LEAF BOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 6, 1911.

Patented May '7, 1912. Serial No. 658,806.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. HoUsH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winthrop, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Books, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a looseleaf book, in which the leaves are secured by and to suitable metal binding strips, having angular anchor extensions at each end, and engaging the several leaves, and an anchor strip for holding and securing the binding strips in a certain fixed relation to the leaves and each other so that the leaves and the binding strips cannot become disengaged.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is aperspective view of the binding strip, with its anchor plates and fasteners, on a somewhat larger scale than the other figures; Fig. 2 shows a group of slotted leaves with a pair of binder strips in the slots; and Fig. 3 shows the base strips and cover ready to receive the leaves shown in Fig. 2.

My looseleaf book as shown in the drawings, is more especially intended for use as a photograph or post card album, but, my invention is equally applicable to account books or other uses of the kind.

In the drawings I have indicated the fact that each leaf is made up of two parts, a base strip a, to which is hinged the leaf proper b, the hinge being indicated at 0K. The front and back covers of the book are also made up in much the same fashion, a base portion A being connected by a hinge D with the cover B and the two covers being connected by a flexible back C. Two or more slits E are cut in each leaf from the free edge of the base strip inward, the slits slanting in-opposite directions. These slits are out at a predetermined position and angle so that when a group of leaves is assembled, these several slits will register. In practice, these slits are quickly and cheaply formed, and with absolute accuracy, by clamping a group of leaves together and sawing the slits in the rear edge of the group, so that the slits in every leaf are simultaneously slit in identical fashion. The bindin strip F is made up of a flat strip of sti material, preferably metal, of a thickness suitable to be received edgewise,

within the slit E. This strip is preferably bent at each end atright angles to the body of the binder, the bent portions f, forming anchor plates and carrying one member f of a device for securing the part f to the The mode of operation is as follows: The

leaves are assembled in a group by joggling on edge, until the two slots on each leaf are in register with the slots on every other leaf. The binding strips are then slipped edgewise into the slots of the group (see Fig. 2) the anchor plates projecting to one side, and the fastening device on each anchor plate is then brought into co-acting engagement with the fastening device on the part A.

It will be obvious that the fastening devices on part A, being spaced at a certain distance apart, will prevent the binding strips F from being moved toward or from one another so long as the anchor plates f of the strips are in engagement with the fasteners in part A and that, unless the strips F are moved together or from one another, according to the slant of the slits, it will be impossible to disengage the strips F from the group of leaves, so that the part A with its fasteners cooperating with the fasteners on the binding strip F, f, locks the strips F in their position with respect to each other and thus locks the leaves together upon the strips F and the strips F upon the part A, which is preferably part of the cover, as shown in the drawings. To remove or insert leaves the group is released from base plate A, the strips F removed from the slots E and the desired change efiected and the parts again assembled as above described. Obviously the leaves cannot be removed or come off lengthwise of the binding strips since the anchor plates f, offset from the plane of the body strip prevent this.

The anchor plates, offset from the plane of the body of the binding strip, form a broad base to support the strip steadily, while the fact that the slots in the leaves are straight, prevents the strip F from turning upon its fastenings as a pivot and swinging out of the slots, which in this aspect, serve to lock the strip F againstrotation.

I claim: v

1. In a looseleaf binder, the combination of multiple binding strips suitable .to engage oppositely slanted slits in the edge of a loose leaf andahaving en ;aging devices at their respective ends, with a pair of base.

strips having engaging devices to cooperate with the engaging devices upon the binding strips. i

2. In a looseleaf binder, the combination of flat binding strips suitable to engage oppositely slanted slits in the edge of a loose leaf; anchor plateslupon the ends of'strips carrying an engaging device, and a base strip having engaging devices to cooperate with the engaging device upon the anchor plates. 7 1

'3. In a looseleaf binder, the combination of flat binding strips suitable to engage op-. positely slanted slits in the edge of a group of loose leaves; anchor plates uponthe ends of said strips, each carrying an engaging device; a base strip having. engaging de vices to cooperate with the engaging de: vices upon the anchor plates, and a; group of loose 'leaves having oppositely slanted registering slits in their edges, to receivethej binding strips, all combined to hold the binding strips in the slots without turning upon the fastening-devices. 1

4. In a looseleaf binder, the combination of fiat binding strips suitable to engage oppositely slanted slits in the edge of a group of loose leaves; anchor plates upon the ends of said strips, each carrying an engaging device;: a pair of base-strips having engaging devices to cooperate with the engaging devices upon the anchor plates and a hinged back member connecting the base strips and front and back cover members attached severally to the base strips.

- 5. In a looseleaf binder, the combination of multiple binding strips suitable to engage oppositely slanted slits in the edge of a loose leaf and having retaining ends turned over at one end of the strips and an engaging device at the other end and a base strip having engaging devices to cooperate with the engagin devices on the binding strips.

6. is a new article of manufacture, the binding strip above described, made up of a central portion; a leaf retaining end portion arranged substantially at a right angle to one end of the central portion and a basest-rip engaging device secured at the other end of the central portion.

7. The combination of a' group of loose leaves having oppositely slanted slits in its rear edge; stiff, removable, leaf-locking strips mounted in said slits and means for holding the strips in the slits.

8. The combination of a'groupof loose leaves having oppositely slanted slits in its rear edge; independent, removable, learlocking strips mounted in said slits and means for holding the strips in said slits,

Signed'by me at Boston, Mass, this 3rd day of November, 1911.

FRANK E, HOUSH.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH T. BRENNAN, OLIVER "MITCHELL.

1 Copies of this patent may' be obtained for fiveeents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

